A reference center for the study of primate viruses was established at this institution (Southwest Foundation for Reseach and Education - SFRE) April 1, 1967. This center is now part of a comprehensive network of virus reference centers directed toward providing, testing and distributing reference and working primate virus reagents to competent laboratories. Primate facilities with the ability to work with these agents may now obtain laboratory support from this center in the form of: (1) a repository of prototype and newly isolated primate viruses; (2) a source of reference reagents (viruses, antisera) to existing prototypes and newly isolated viruses; (3) consultation services including epidemiologic data as pertains to primates aid and diagnosis during endemic and epidemic situation, identification and characterization of primate viruses; (4) collection, analysis and dissemination of information between primate laboratories and other concerned laboratories; and (5) serve as a training center for interested scientists in the area of microbiology (especially virology) and primate husbandry (princiapply public health). In addition, pilot studies were conducted to implement this program in such areas as: (1) vaccines, (2) occurrence of natural disease, (3) latent infections, (4) viremias and viurias, (5) immunologic diagnosis, (6) cell cultures, and (7) improved diagnosis and methodology.